Defrosting apparatus



y 1967 R. P. LAZICH 3,316,893

DEFROSTING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 22, 1965 80 Fig. 2

Radon an R Luz/eh IN VENTOK.

United States Patent 3,316,893 DEFROSTING APPARATUS Radovan P. Lazich, Sacramento, Califi, assignor of fifty percent to James W. Wilson, Sacramento, Calif. Filed Oct. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 500,840 6 Claims. (Cl. 126271.2)

This invention relates generally to defrosting apparatus and more particularly to a portable hand manipulated device for defrosting window ice, and including means for wiping or drying the windows after the ice is melted therefrom.

Briefly, this invention comprises a portable defrosting device especially useful for defrosting the ice laden windows of automobiles stored outdoors in the winter. Various prior art devices of this sort have been previously devised. However, a majority of these previous devices have electrically powered heating elements operating from the vehicle battery or an external electrical source. This necessitates the use of lead wires to the defrosting device making the use thereof extremely difficult and cumbersome.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel portable defrosting apparatus having a self-contained heating element.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a portable hand carried defrosting device having a selfcontained fuel supply and heating element therein as well as a scraper mounted thereon whereby ice may be melted from a surface and the water then removed therefrom.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a window defrosting and drying device having a selfcontained fuel supply and heater element as well as means for starting the heater element and means for directing heat toward the window to be defrosted.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the defrosting apparatus comprising the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substan tially on the plane of the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged partial vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 33 of FIG- URE 1.

Referring now to the drawings in more detail, reference numeral is used to generally denote the defrosting device of the present invention. The defrosting device 10 includes a handle or body 12, the body constituting an elongated hollow cylindrical member having the fuel chamber 14 therein. The fuel chamber 14 contains a quantity of combustible fuel such as conventional lighter fuel 16 and includes a filler opening 18 in the bottom end thereof removably closed by a threaded closure member 20 having a sealing washer 22 thereon.

The other end 24 of body 12 is open and thre-adedly receives a threaded plug 26 therein through which an aperture 28 is formed, a wick 30 of conventional variety such as a rolled cotton wick or the like extending through the aperture 28 into the fuel 16 in chamber 14 and also upwardly past the recessed end 32 of the plug 26. Thus, it will be observed that the wick and the recessed end 32 of plug 26 constitute a burner 34. An annular shield 36 is formed around the upper end 32 of plug 26, the shield being integral with the plug 26 and spaced as indicated by reference numeral 38 away from the end 32. A domelike cap 40 is provided to releasably seat in the annular space 38 between the shield 36 and end 32, the cap 40 being preferably fabricated of clear plastic or other suitable material and being frictionally engageable within the shield 36. The cap 40 is provided in order to prevent evaporation of the fuel 16 from the wick 30 when the burner is not in use.

A frame generally denoted by reference numeral 42 is mounted on the handle or body 12 as illustrated in FIG- URES l and 2. The frame 42 is preferably fabricated of a metallic material, and includes a reduced neck portion 44 which is cylindrical, and which is of approximately the same inner diameter as the outer diameter of body 12. Further, the frame 42 includes a diverging peripheral wall 46 extending outwardly from the cylindrical portion 44 and open at the top as indicated by reference numeral 48. A top closure plate 50 extends across the open end 43 of diverging peripheral wall 46, the top plate 50 having an opening 52 therein through which the upper end of body 12 extends whereby the burner 34 will extend upwardly through the top plate 50.

A lighter unit 54 is mounted in the wall 50 adjacent the burner 34, the lighter unit 54 including a conventional striker wheel 56 and flint 58, both mounted on a tubular body 60 which extends downwardly into the chamber 62 formed by the walls 46 and 50. The lighter body 60 has a spring 64 removably mounted by threaded plug 66 therein, the spring acting to keep tension on the flint 58. Of course, the plug 66 and spring 64 are removable from the body 60 in order to change fiints when necessary.

The diverging wall 46 has an upwardly projecting portion generally denoted by reference numeral 68 extending approximately halfway about the upper peripheral end of the wall and over the plate 50. The upwardly projecting wall portion 68 constitutes -a heat shield and heat ray directing shield generally denoted by reference numeral 70. As will be observed in FIGURES 1 and 2, the heat shield 70 extends the full width of the upper portion of diverging wall 46 and is concave inwardly thereby presenting the inner concave wall 72 laterally behind the burner 34.

Mounted on the back face 74 of wall 68 is a rubber scraper blade 76, the scraper blade being mounted on the wall by suitable mounting means 78, and the blade 76 extending the full width of wall 68.

Referring now specifically to FIGURE 2, it will be seen that a surface to be defrosted and dried is generally denoted by reference numeral 80. The defrosting device 10 is used to defrost the front face of the surface 80 and will at the same time wipe the surface dry in the following manner: First the cap 40 is removed from the burner 34, at which time the striker wheel 56 is spun in conventional fashion thereby striking the flint 581 and causing sparks to ignite the combustible fuel 16 contained in the upper portion of wick 30. Thus, the burner 34 constitutes a self-contained heat generating means for the device 10, and the fuel chamber 14 having fuel 16 therein constitutes a self-contained fuel means for the heat generating means. Further, the lighter unit 54 constitutes a spark producing means for firing said heat generating means. When the burner 34 is fired, the device 10 may be held by handle 12 in the position illustrated in FIGURE 2, with the projected lip 82 and scraper blade 76 in contact with the surface to be defrosted 80. At this time the concave wall surface 72 of extension wall 68 will direct the heat rays generated by the burner 34 in the general direction indicated by the arrows 84 in FIGURE 2 against the surface till. Further, the heat shield 70 will protect the rubber scraper blade 76 mounted on the rear of extension wall 68 from the heat generated by burner 34. Thus, it will be apparent that the device 10 may be drawn downwardly over the surface 80, the heat rays being concentrated and directed toward the surface 80 to defrost and melt any ice or frost thereon, and the rubber scraper blade 76, being drawn across the surface 80 behind the burner 34 will wipe the surface 80, thereby freeing it of moisture. Accordingly, in view of the above description, it will be apparent that the device it) constitutes a novel combination defrosting and drawing device useful for defrosting and drying a surface such as an automobile window in one operation.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling Within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination, a body defining a generally fiat elongated narrow wall portion providing an outer surface including a central area spaced centrally intermediate the opposite ends of said wall portion, burner means carried by said body and operative to sustain a source of radiant heat at a point spaced slightly outwardly of said outer surface in said central area, an elongated heat reflector and shield projecting outwardly from and extending along one longitudinal marginal edge portion of said outer surface, said heat reflector and shield, along its free longitudinal edge, projecting over said outer surface and partially enclosing an area outwardly of said outer surface opening outwardly of the other longitudinal marginal edge portion of said outer surface and also outwardly of said other longitudinal marginal edge portion in a direction generally normal to said outer surface, and a scraper blade supported from said body, disposed on the side of said shield remote from said outer surface and projecting outwardly 35 from said body in a direction extending away from said outer surface and terminating in a free edge portion disposed generally in a plane containing said other longitudinal marginal edge portion and spaced slightly outwardly of the free longitudinal edge of said heat reflector and shield.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said burner means comprises a wick projecting outwardly from the outer surface of said wall portion in said central area thereof, said wick extending through said wall portion, a liquid fuel reservoir supported from said body and disposed on the side of said wall portion remote from said outer surface and into which said wick extends.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said liquid fuel reservoir comprises an elongated hollow handle defining member projecting outwardly above the side of said wall portion, remote from said outer side surface.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein the second mentioned area also opens endwi'se outwardly of the opposite ends of said wall portion.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said scraper blade includes at least an outer free marginal edge portion constructed of waterproof resilient material.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said wall portion includes anchor means disposed about the area of said outer surface of said wall portion through which said wick projects, and a hollow closure cap removably positionable over said Wick and engageable with said anchor means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,074,755 10/1913 Spira 126-2712 X 1,181,134 5/1916 Harper 158--2 1 FOREIGN PATENTS 73,016 1/1948 Norway.

CHARLES I. MYI-IRE, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION, A BODY DEFINING A GENERALLY FLAT ELONGATED NARROW WALL PORTION PROVIDING AN OUTER SURFACE INCLUDING A CENTRAL AREA SPACED CENTRALLY INTERMEDIATE THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID WALL PORTION, BURNER MEANS CARRIED BY SAID BODY AND OPERATIVE TO SUSTAIN A SOURCE OF RADIANT HEAT AT A POINT SPACED SLIGHTLY OUTWARDLY OF SAID OUTER SURFACE IN SAID CENTRAL AREA, AN ELONGATED HEAT REFLECTOR AND SHIELD PROJECTING OUTWARDLY FROM AND EXTENDING ALONG ONE LONGITUDINAL MARGINAL EDGE PORTION OF SAID OUTER SURFACE, SAID HEAT REFLECTOR AND SHIELD, ALONG ITS FREE LONGITUDINAL EDGE, PROJECTING OVER SAID OUTER SURFACE AND PARTIALLY ENCLOSING AN AREA OUTWARDLY OF SAID OUTER SURFACE OPENING OUTWARDLY OF THE OTHER LONGITUDINAL MARGINAL EDGE PORTION OF SAID OUTER SURFACE AND ALSO OUTWARDLY OF SAID OTHER LONGITUDINAL MARGINAL EDGE PORTION IN A DIRECTION GENERALLY NORMAL TO SAID OUTER SURFACE, AND A SCRAPER BLADE SUPPORTED FROM SAID BODY, DISPOSED ON THE SIDE OF SAID SHIELD REMOTE FROM SAID OUTER SURFACE AND PROJECTING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID BODY IN A DIRECTION EXTENDING AWAY FROM SAID OUTER SURFACE AND TERMINATING IN A FREE EDGE PORTION DIS- 